Frequently Asked Questions about CERT
What is CERT?
Following a disaster, you and your community may have to be self-reliant for a period of time before fire and emergency medical first responders arrive. CERT training prepares you to help yourself, your family and your neighbors during an emergency. The training received may help save lives and protect property. Factors such as numbers of victims, communications failures, and road blockages will prevent people from accessing emergency services they have come to expect at a moment's notice through 911. People will have to rely on each other for help in order to meet their immediate life saving and life sustaining needs.
During disasters, family members as well as fellow employees and neighbors will spontaneously try to help each other. However, without proper training spontaneous volunteers can lose their lives while attempting to save others. The CERT program presents citizens the facts about what to expect following a disaster in terms of immediate services. It then gives them the message about their responsibility for mitigation and preparedness. Then they are trained in needed life saving skills with emphasis on decision-making skills. Lastly, teams are organized as an extension of first responder services offering immediate help to victims until specialized services arrive.
History of CERT
The Community Emergency Response Team concept was developed and implemented by the Los Angeles City Fire Department (LAFD) in 1985. The Whittier Narrows earthquake in 1987 underscored the area wide threat of a major disaster in California. Further, it confirmed the need for training civilians to meet their immediate needs. As a result, the LAFD created the Disaster preparedness Division with the purpose of training citizens and private and government employees.
The training program that LAFD initiated makes good sense and furthers the process of citizens understanding their responsibility in preparing for disaster. It also increases their ability to safely help themselves, their family and their neighbors. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recognizes the importance of preparing citizens. The Emergency Management Institute (EMI) and the National Fire Academy adopted and expanded the CERT materials believing them applicable to all hazards.
The CERT course will benefit any citizen who takes it. This individual will be better prepared to respond to and cope with the aftermath of a disaster. Additionally, if a community wants to supplement its response capability after a disaster, civilians can be recruited and trained as neighborhood, business, and government teams that, in essence will be auxiliary responders. These groups can provide immediate assistance to victims in their area, organize spontaneous volunteers who have not had the training, and collect disaster intelligence that will assist professional responder with prioritization and allocation of resources following a disaster. Since 1993 when this training was made available nationally by FEMA, communities in 28 States and Puerto Rico have conducted CERT training.
CERT is about readiness; people helping people, rescue safety, and doing the greatest good for the greatest number. CERT is a positive and realistic approach to emergency and disaster situations where citizens will be initially on their own and their actions can make a difference. Through training, citizens can manage utilities and put out small fires; treat the three killers by opening airways, controlling bleeding and treating for shock; provide basic medical aid; search for and rescue victims safely and organize themselves and spontaneous volunteers to be effective.